Investigate and download the app here. In the most recent issue, the magazine focuses on the differences between men and women’s hormones. Hooray!

The task: Share your story with the community. Write it in one sentence, in one paragraph, or in one essay. Whatever you think is most appropriate. Then put it in two places: FIRST, head over to the Kickass Womanhood Forums and enter the Sharing your Journey section of the forum. Open a new thread, include GIVEAWAY in the title, and share the story there. Second, if you like, you may paste it in the comments below.

The prizes:

First prize is a 1 year subscription to the Magazine.

First and second runner-ups get 3 months free!

The secret prize: If you write a story I am personally compelled by, I will invite you to be on the Live. Love. Eat. podcast.

How I’m picking the winners: It’s gotta be random. How can I judge someone based on the quality of their experience, or evaluate the quality of their story based on their writing technique? BUT of course a compelling story and a willingness to engage us always has the possibility to lead down exciting avenues such as being on the podcast.

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Secondly, I am running a donation drive for the Paleo for Women community.

We need your support in order move forward, we really do. This community depends upon the vibrancy of all of us working together, in whichever ways we can. I could not do any of this without you, nor could I thank you enough for your help, and your continued love and support. Anything you’d like to give would be an enormous gift to the community.

To donate, select a donation amount and follow through to Paypal.

[donateplus]

Some links above may be my affiliate links, which means I get a small commission if you click on it and make a purchase. Doing so is no additional cost to you, but helps our team tremendously.

3 Comments

CoconutDi
on September 4, 2012 at 9:04 pm

Paleo for Women is one of the most inspiring and informative websites I have every come across. It gives every woman the courage to escape the common belief patterns we have for ourselves and Intentionally broads our perspective as women. Through societal conditioning, women have been unable to see their true beauty and power. Stefanie Ruper from Paleo for Women gives us back that power and reminds us who we are.

My journey to find Paleo for Women started with the original website PaleoPepper.com. I couldn’t believe what I was reading! My thoughts, my words, my actions, all perfectly described as if I had written it. It was then that a new light had been shown and I could see beyond the darkness inside of me. Finally, a line appeared outside of my never ending circle of self shame. I immediately wrote Stefanie and email and to my surprise she responded. Not only once, but every time I needed advice. I started trusting myself. I started telling myself I was beautiful, cute, and smart. I trusted and let go long enough that overtime I have come to know what true beauty is. And, although my journey is not over, I am to over the hardest part – I’ve learned that I am loved.

My background in a nutshell…I won’t go too much into specifics but just knowing the basics gives you an idea of where my eating disorder started. I am the oldest child and have a younger sister. I grew up with a loving mother and a father who was there but not sure if he loved me. My parents are both alcoholics and taking care of them was one thing I did. I was often called “mom” because I grew up too fast. I hated that term. I was sexually abused by my babysitter when I was 4 which was always kept a secret and nobody every knew. Of course, a dad who wasn’t emotionally present along with the secretive sexual abuse has really hindered my ability to form relationships with men. As a child, I always had a hard time making friends. I had insecurities from as far back as I can remember. I never felt that I deserved a friend. I was a perfectionist in high school and college and graduated at the top of my class. Subconsciously, I was doing what ever I could to get my parents attention. If I just did abc, my parents would stop drinking and be proud of me. If I was just better at xyz then my life would be perfect. I’ve been on a diet since I was 8 years old, only to fail every time and blame the failure as the cause of my unhappiness.

After high school I went on to attend a small private college. Given I was very outgoing in high school, my world was turned upside down when I found myself alone with nothing to lean on for emotional support. I couldn’t even find activities to get involved with that would cover up my sadness. Earlier that year I had started the Atkins induction diet and that continued through my first few months of college. I went from 172 lbs in high school to 110 lbs in 4 months. Being the perfectionist that I am, the goal weight was never the end. Every 5 pounds became a new goal and once that was reached, another 5 was on the radar. I never felt accomplished or that I even met the first goal I started with. Food and exercise was controlling my life. I was a sad girl at that time, crying and praying to God every day to please make me normal. I cried out to God daily for help that seemed to never come. My body felt like it was going to break and even sitting was painful. I hated myself.

After college, something strange began to happen. I hopes to become “normal” and have friends, I started loosening up a bit, allowing myself cheat meals. Before I knew it, I had become a binge eater and purged my food by exercising. Exercise, eat, work, exercise . . .that is all I did until my body broke. I had prayed all that time for God to make me normal but I didn’t mean to make me fat! I was as unhappy as I had ever been in my entire life. Too much control, then lack of control made me feel out of control. I was an emotional wreck was living a life of sadness, loneliness and despite. I ballooned up to almost 200lbs. I messed my bodies in a lot of ways in the last 10 years. My monthly menstrual cycle is gone and now I worry about having children later in life. I hide that thought from others. I developed weird health ailments such as hypothyroidism, edema, hyponatremia, and IBS to name a few.

In 2009, after attending church regularly for 2 years, Christ finally came into my life. I started to really communicate with God, not just pray for him to heal me. It wasn’t that he wasn’t listening before, it was that I hadn’t fully excepted to lean on him and give up the control that I so desperately wanted to keep. God brought the concept of Paleo into my life. I was not consuming grains or sugar when this happened so the transition was easier than as if I had been eating junk 24/7. Then, out of the blue, Paleo Pepper popped into my life, then Paleo for Women launched. This last year I have let even more control go – but in a good way. Now that my food is in check, the emotional baggage that pulls me back no longer keeps me locked up. I can think clearly and actually make real decisions. If I’m feeling fat, I say shut up gorgeous. Guys like girls with hips anyway, right. Girls are meant to have hips and have children. We are as pretty on the outside as we our inside and the world sees that more than we can ourselves.

I can’t ignore this wonderful body I have hated over these years and must love it for what it is. My body is me and I accept that now. I can finally believe that I am loved and although I don’t feel this way 100% of the time, it is pretty darn close. I am still working through the thoughts and patterns that trigger a binge. That loneliness, wondering if I’m really excepted and if I really have friends.

I’m finally down to 155lbs thanks to the Paleo diet. A few more things about me… I was/am on Lexapro. I officially stopped completely 2 weeks ago. Over the last year, I slowly weaned myself off of it using amino acid therapy. I’ve dabbled with the emotional freedome technique (EFT) but didn’t give it the time it was worth so that needs revisited. I’m also talking openly about my relationship with food to others. I don’t eat to be nice. I tell people this is who I am and you can take me or leave me. Nobody has ever left me.

That is my story and I’m so proud to share it. Thank you again for the Paleo for Women blog, podcast and forums. If we all stick together we can break down these culturally conditioned thought patterns and bring forth the beauty that we have under these lies. No child or other woman should ever feel unloved. It is our duty as women to spread the message of self-love and to love on others. Remember that you are not alone in this battle so keep on truckin’ sisters! 😉

@CoconutDi – what an amazing way to start the day. Your story is compelling and inspiring and brought tears to my eyes, not only because of your journey but also because of the strength and beauty and love you have found. I hope everyone who visits this website reads this post. All I can say is WOW!